Endrega drones live but brief lives, the culmination of which comes in the autumn when they fertilize the queen. They pass the time leading to that moment protecting the colony’s territory. Weaker drones die in these battles, while the largest and strongest survive. These select individuals’ genes are passed down to the next generation of endregas, while they themselves are killed after fertilization takes place and their bodies used to feed the hive during the long winter months. Drones are easy to identify thanks to their distinctive, cone-shaped abdomens.